There’s a place where Sex is sold and the Police are bought. Where Love and Lust know no boundaries except Revenge. A place where landing in the Gutter is considered social climbing. It’s New York City 1902. The place: McGurk’s Suicide Hall…and there’s only one way out.
McGurk’s Suicide Hall, a fictional account of actual events is a brand new and original musical where all the characters, except for one, were real people. It’s about Emma and Pietr, brother and sister, who immigrate to the U.S. to make a better life for themselves. They meet some colorful characters at a local bar, including Snorky, a young newsie, Cross a mysterious hunk and Big Mame the headliner at a prostitute’s cabaret.
“McGurk’s” has been chosen to be in the Emerging Artist’s Theatre 13th Annual New Works Series. EAT is graciously supplying the venue, it’s staffing, and insurance; the big expenses. The rest is left up to the creative team. And we need your help.
Original musical scripts, meaning not from a movie, song catalogue or book, are becoming a sort of rarity in Theatre today. It’s expensive and risky. Without a prebuilt in following, like from a movie, it’s a challenge to get backing especially in the initial phases.
In order to produce this inaugural Equity staged reading we need to raise $8000. This will cover the costs of everything from printing the scripts and music, to the larger costs like rehearsal room rentals, and paying the actors, all of them, regardless of union affiliation.
McGurk’s takes place over one hundred years ago, yet it is still topical with what is happening in our society today. It illustrates that not much has changed over the years, just shifted laterally. The show provides a sense of community, a commonality between the past and present. And if we don’t learn from it, possibly the future. As one character sings:
I am your past, from me you cannot run
I am your past, we have to see this through
I am your past and to leave your past undone
Will be the death of you
Help bring McGurk’s Suicide Hall, a fictional account of actual events, a new, original and exciting piece of musical theatre, to an audience, to you. Any amount donated will help and is greatly appreciated.
Besides there are some fun perks you can get for your donation…